Signed by Liverpool from Imperial Academy in 2015, Taiwo Awoniyi never made one appearance for the Reds under Jürgen Klopp.
He never got a work permit, and instead spent time on loan at six different clubs, starting with FSV Frankfurt, before heading to Holland with NEC Nijmegen.
That was then followed by three separate spells between Royal Excel Mouscron and then KAA Gent, which then led to a return to Germany, first with 1. FSV Mainz 05 and then Union Berlin.
It was the latter who decided to take the plunge permanently in the summer, signing the Nigeria international from Liverpool for just under €6m, where he has scored nine goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances since.
He said: “The Premier League is my dream. Everyone knows that, even here in the club. The decisive difference for me is that if I lived in England, it would be easier for my wife and child, if only because of the language. In additions, my sister and brother live on the island.”
Whether he ever does that with Liverpool remains to be seen, but he’s certainly showing he can do it at the top level now, and perhaps he might have a little stop somewhere else in the Premier League first, before returning to Anfield if they ever want to bring him back at some stage.
